Assisting as a New Photographer

Q:

Do you think it’s important for a photographer to spend time assisting professional photographers before launching their own career? And if so, what kind of photographer should someone assist?

A:

This really depends on the photographer and what they need to learn. Some photographers never assist and end up wildly successful. But assisting can be extremely informative and build your confidence. If a photographer needs to learn what an editorial or commercial advertising job is like then they can assist any type of photographer in that market. If they need to learn more about the technicalities of shooting cars or people, then they should assist a photographer that does that kind of work. Figure out what you need to learn and assist in that. Or jump right in! There is no straight answer here…